Kinetic modeling of the planar Multipole Resonance Probe*

Active Plasma Resonance Spectroscopy (APRS) denotes a class of plasma diagnostic methods that utilize the ability of the plasma to resonate at or near the electron plasma frequency. Many APRS probes are invasive and perturb the plasma by their physical presence. The planar Multipole Resonance Probe (pMRP) solves this problem: it can be integrated into the chamber wall and minimizes the perturbation. In this work, a kinetic model is developed to investigate the behavior of the pMRP. This model consists of the Boltzmann equation, which is coupled with the Poisson equation under the electrostatic approximation. The spectral response of the probe-plasma system is found by calculating the complex admittance. Both collision-less damping and collisional damping appear in the kinetic spectra. This model provides the possibility to calculate the electron density, electron temperature, and electron-neutral collision frequency from the measurements.